along with president kiir, we hope the july 9 will mark, as he said in his words, india beginning of tolerance, unity and love in which cultural and ethnic diversity can be a source of pride and strength, not parochialism and conflict. south sudan bears the scars of wars in many forms. including roads, schools and hospitals that were never built. they provide their own sense of permanent scarring. it must also overcome internal corruption and internal rebellions. but as they have already showed the world, the people of south sudan are capable of rising to a challenge. america has stood with the peoples of sudan throughout these struggles. we helped to broker the cpa. we have provided billions of dollars in humanitarian assistance. our representatives, including ambassador lyman, are working tirelessly to bring the parties together. and we must remain involved until there is lasting peace in the region. i would remind people that the war that took place there was the longest war in africa's history. and a cost of over 2 million lives. the last thing that we want to do is go backwards.